Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1887-02-03

he was not entirely satisfied that his journey
was business one. The impulsive, weak lit
tie Mistress Carmen had prudently scored
one against the strong man.
| Only a small part of the present great
transcontinental railway at this time had
been built, and was but piers at either end Of
desolate and wild expanse as yet unbridged.
When the overland traveller left the rail at
Reno he left as it were, civilization with 1t;
and. until he reached the Nebraska frontier,
the rest of his road was only the old emigrant
trail Travelled by coaches of the Overland
company. Excepting part of Devils Can
yon," the way was unpicturesque and fiat;
and the passage of the Rocky mountains, far
from suggesting the alleged poetry of that
region, was only reminder of those sterile
distances of a level New England landscape.
The journey was dreary monotony that
was scarcely enlivened by its discomforts,
never amounting to actual accident or Incl
dent, but utterly destructive to all nervous
tissue Insanity ofteu supervened. I'm the
third day out" said Hank Monk, driver,
speaking casually but charitably OK 'fare"
son the third day ont, after axing no END
of questions and getting no answers, he took
to chewing straws that he picked outer
the cushion, and kussin' TO hlsself. from
that very day knew 1t was all over WIN
him, and handed him over to his trends at
sSby Ann strapped t, the back seat, and
-, sot H0IIldaV
tlemanly proprietor" 1t is presumed that
the unfortunate tourists indignation was ex-
cited at the late Mr.. Benjamin Holiday, then
the proprietor of the line-an evidence OF his
insanity that no one who knew that large
hearted, fastidious and elegantly cultured
Californian. since allied to foreign nobility,
will for moment doubt.
Mr.. Royal Thatcher was toe old and expe-
rienced a mountaineer to do aught but accept
patiently and cynically his brother Califor-
mans method of increasing his profits AS 1t
was generally understood that any one who
came from California by that route had some
dark design, the victim received little SYM
pathy. Thatcher's equable temperament and
indomitable will stood him in good stead, and
helped him cheerfully in this emergency. He
ate his scant meals, and otherwise took care of
the functions of his weak human nature when
and where he could, without grumbling, and
at times earned even the praise of his driver
by his ability to rough it." Which rough
ing it," by the way. meant the ability of the
passengers to accept the incompetency of the
company. 1t is true there were times when he
regretted that he had not taken the steamer:
but then he reflected that he was one Of a
vigilance committee. sworn to hang that ad-
mirabe man, the late Commodore Cornelius
Vanderbi t. for certain practices and cruelties
done upon the bodies of certain steerage pas
sengers by his line, and for divers irregulari-
ties in their transportation. j mention this
fact merely to show how so practical and
stout a voyager as Thatcher might have con-
founded the perpexities attending the admin
istration of great steamship company with
selfish greed and brutality; and that he, with
other Californians, may not have known the
fact, since recorded by the commodore's fam
lily clergyman, that the great millionaire was
always true to the hymns of his childhood.
Nevertheless Thatcher found time to De
cheerful and helpful to his fellow passengers,
and even to be SO far interesting to "Yuba
Bill the driver, as to have the box seat placed
at his disposal. But" said Thatcher in some
concern, "the box seat was purchased by that
other gentleman in Sacramento. He paid ex-
ira for it, and his names on your way bill"
"That," said Yuba Bill, scornfully, don't
fata L. L a. L. H.,
bang. Look var, do you reckon I'm goin to
spile my temper by setting next to man
with game eyes And such an eye! Ge-
whillikins! Why, darn my skin, the other
day when we were watering at Webster's, he
got down and passed in front of the off leader
that yer pinto colt that's hin accustomed to
1njins grizzlies and buffalo-and I'm bless eff,
when her eye tackled his, eff she didn't jist git
up and rar round that l reckoned I'd hev to
go down and take them binders off from her
eyes and clap on his" "But he paid his
money, and is entitled to his seat" persisted
Thatcher "Mebbe he is-in the office of the
kempeny," growled Yuba Bill; "but it's time
some folks knowed that out in the plains
| run this yer team myself" A fact which
was self-evident to most of the passengers.
II suppose his authority is as absolute on this
dreary waste as a ship captains in mid
ocean," exclaimed Thatcher to the baleful
eyed stranger. Mr. Wiles-whom the reader
has recognized-assented with the public side
of his face, but looked vengeance at Yuba
Bill with the other, while Thatcher, innocent
of the presence of one of his worst enemies,
placated Bill so far as to restore Wiles to his
rights Wiles thanked him. "Shall | have
the pleasure of your company far" Wiles
asked, insinuatingly. ITO Washington" re-
piled Thatcher, frankly. washington is
gay city during the session." again suggested
the stranger. I'm going ON business, said
bluntly.
A trifling incident occurred at Pine Tree
Crossing which did not heighten Yuba Bills
the double locked box in the 'boot" of the
to Wells, Fargo & Coz express
and the Overland company's treasures-Mr.
Wiles perceived small, black morocco porte
manteau among the parcels. "Ah, you carry
baggage there, too!" he said, sweetly. "Not
often" responded Yuba Bill, shortly. "Ah,
this then contains valuablesl' 1T belongs to
that man whose seat you've got" said Yuba
Bill, who, for insulting purposes of his own,
preferred to establish the fiction that Wiles
was an interloper, "and eff he reckons, in
,orter mixed kempeny like this, to lock up
his portmantle, l don't know who's business
i is Whof continued Bill, lashing himself |
INTO simulated rage, "who in blank is run
hing this yer team? Hey. Mebbe you think,
,ittin' up thar on the box seat, you are.
lIoIbo ,-o,, think ror kin see round corners |